BlindType has been acquired by Google(blindtype.com)
blindtype.com
BlindType has been acquired by Google
http://blindtype.com/blog.html?entry=temp
18 comments
Can you explain what the killer technology is?
From my naive POV, it just does a couple of mappings in 2d space fitting a keyboard over the points you press, until some real words drop out. If that's all they have, it sure doesn't sound like much. Sounds more like a rainy weekends work.
From my naive POV, it just does a couple of mappings in 2d space fitting a keyboard over the points you press, until some real words drop out. If that's all they have, it sure doesn't sound like much. Sounds more like a rainy weekends work.
Focusing one specific problem and solving it in the best way possible (this doesn't mean hardcore-awesome-superb-crazy coding) is still a pretty killer thing to have. That's why it's worthy to Google, do your rainy weekend work and sell to Google, then pleas submit to HN.
> "do your rainy weekend work and sell to Google, then pleas submit to HN."
Since when was life fair or work rewarded based on merit. These things are more about who you know than what you create.
Since when was life fair or work rewarded based on merit. These things are more about who you know than what you create.
That brings up another good question (in addition to my earlier question about how much money is typically involved): Are these super early-stage acquisitions usually a result of the buyer spotting a diamond in the rough and reaching out with an offer? Or are they usually a matter of the early-stage startup just knowing the right people?
I suspect the latter, but it's purely a guess. This is one area of Startup Land about which very little has been written.
I suspect the latter, but it's purely a guess. This is one area of Startup Land about which very little has been written.
I think spotting, for example lookout outlook plugin acquired by MS, which seems clearly to me MS needed such solution and lookout already solved it nicely. So why re-invent the wheel and spend more money when you got a safe choice.
I think Lookout was a talent acquisition. The current implementation of Outlook search is much worse than Lookout was.
They didn't integrate into the Outlook though, they did integrate into Windows Desktop Search
Outlook search is powered by Windows Desktop Search I think.
Now all we need is BlindSwype. The functionality of both products aren't mutually exclusive!
Exactly! I was disappointed to see this last part in their mission statement:
"With current systems, focus on the keyboard is always needed. It is almost impossible to slide the finger on letters without paying attention on the screen. Focusing elsewhere, even for a split second makes it extremely difficult to resume the word in-progress."
This is the exact assumption they are battling with tap typing. I wish they would realize that their same system could infer tap points given a swipe path.
Let the users type how they want, whether tap or swipe, and let their algorithms figure out the rest.
"With current systems, focus on the keyboard is always needed. It is almost impossible to slide the finger on letters without paying attention on the screen. Focusing elsewhere, even for a split second makes it extremely difficult to resume the word in-progress."
This is the exact assumption they are battling with tap typing. I wish they would realize that their same system could infer tap points given a swipe path.
Let the users type how they want, whether tap or swipe, and let their algorithms figure out the rest.
This technology could be amazing. Currently, about 50% of the time, if I spell something wrong or type a name that's not in the dictionary, my phone replaces my entry with something radically and comically different. With four additional degrees of freedom to play with, I'm sure they can get that percentage up to over 99%.
Looks like cool technology, but Swype still is faster and provides a better interface.
What does this mean for BlindType on the iPhone?
The original implementation of BlindType (the one in all the demos) cannot be used on current iOS devices cause it violates Apple's terms. Apple doesn't want people replacing the default keyboard... so yeah.
They mentioned originally that they would submit to the App Store knowing that it would be rejected, but wanted to force Apple to look at what they were banning due to their conditions.
Once Apple allows it? I have no idea what would happen. Google does release a lot of iPhone apps, but those all tie into Google services. This does not. At all.
They mentioned originally that they would submit to the App Store knowing that it would be rejected, but wanted to force Apple to look at what they were banning due to their conditions.
Once Apple allows it? I have no idea what would happen. Google does release a lot of iPhone apps, but those all tie into Google services. This does not. At all.
It will drive Apple nuts if Android ends up with an obviously superior typing experience than the iPhone. This could be a turning point in their patent war.
What will happen if it becomes a standard for input and you have users grow up with it who never learned QWERTY? It's premise--that you're typing with a QWERTY layout in mind--then becomes broken.
Someone can then invent QwertyType: an actual keyboard on the screen. This will be faster for these users because they won't have to guess where the software thinks they think the keys are.
Someone can then invent QwertyType: an actual keyboard on the screen. This will be faster for these users because they won't have to guess where the software thinks they think the keys are.
Congrats Kostas and Panos! Enjoy life at the Googleplex!
From the videos, they do have pretty killer technology, although they haven't even released it yet, and there are competitors aplenty. I'm curious, does anyone know what an "acquisition" like this usually amounts to in terms of money? At this scale, it's almost never talked about (ex. reMail's acquisition).